An Educational Journey in Energy Therapy for Animals

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A terrific story was shared with us by Erin F. of Maryland, one of our Level 4 Practitioners

I recently had a wonderful HTA experience with a wild owl on Assateague Island. He was a young Northern Saw-whet Owl that was captured as part of a 20-year long owl research project at Assateague Island National Seashore. This little guy was caught at 9pm on a gorgeous, clear, moonlit Saturday night. We bagged him and carried him back to the field lab. He weighed 81 grams (2.8 oz.) so he was small and stressed after being caught in the netting and faced with humans and indoor surroundings.

After being weighed, measured, banded and evaluated by the biologist, I was able to do a quick HTA treatment before we released him. I used Magnetic Clearing for Animals™ and Vibrational Grooming™ and he responded positively to both. He seemed to particularly like the Vibrational Grooming™ and hesitated in the palm of my hand for a minute before he flew off into the nearby tree. They tell me he has returned 3 more times since we first caught him on Nov. 22 – now that he is banded they can tell it is the same bird. I have to believe he is coming back looking for more HTA!

If you have a story to share, please contact us! We would love to hear about it.

There is a bit of an inner skeptic in us all and it can be a frustrating reflection to encounter from another party, especially since it’s such a common encounter in our work. Sometimes patience and soft, persistent demonstration is all we need to calm others’ inner skeptics to assist them in opening just enough to receive the healing gift that we offer.

Pat Barton of Raleigh, North Carolina discovered how a persistent softness was enough to calm others’ inner skeptic and here is her story:

During the spring and summer of 2012, I had already been volunteering several years at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Maryland when I learned about and took Levels 1 and 2 of Healing Touch for Animals. I have been interested in energy work since the 1980s, engaging in many courses, seminars, and personal wellness experiences in a variety of modalities. HTA just felt like “coming home” to me, combining my interest in the well-being of animals with my experience and growing knowledge of energy work. Not surprising, I started talking about what I had learned in my HTA classes to other volunteers and staff at the shelter.

What did surprise me was the rather cool reception to my “good news” and offers to provide some energetic support to the animals. Looking back, I think that many people are just a bit unsure of what energy work is about. I often hear, “I don’t believe in that.” In any event, I continued to quietly provide some chakra balancing, magnetic clearing, etheric heartbeat, and behavioral change work to the foster animals in my home, not wanting to turn people off at the shelter by being a “broken record.” Then one day everything changed!

On a Saturday in early spring 2013, I was at the shelter doing training for new volunteers, when the volunteer coordinator, Kim Teter, approached me in a rather tentative, but somewhat excited way. She said, “Would you be willing to do ‘that thing you do’ with one of the dogs in kennel?” All of a sudden my plans to take an afternoon clicker training class dissolved and my response was a resounding, “Yes, yes, yes!” Though I was a bit nervous, this was my opportunity to have the staff’s blessing to work with one of the dogs.

Darkness was a big, black, two year old lab mix who was not ready to be in the adoptable area of the shelter because of his deep anxiety. He was very fearful of humans and cowered in the back of his run (with indoor and outdoor sections) barking and snarling at anyone’s approach. As Kim and I approached his run, Darkness responded in his normal way. She suggested I step inside and she would hang a towel over the front of the cage and wait outside while I “did my thing.” I slowly took a seat on the floor placing a towel in front of me.

Not looking directly at Darkness, I started sending some positive energy out into the run. I was softly chanting when I noticed a nose in by back from the neighboring kennel and another nose under the fence from the opposite kennel. I had some allies! These dogs were also receiving energetic benefits and assisting me with Darkness. Before long, the barking stopped and curiosity took over. Darkness came closer as I placed a small treat on the towel. He tentatively took it and immediately moved back. After the third round of this, he stood by while I did some clearing. Then he allowed me to assess his chakras, do some chakra balancing and end with Etheric Heartbeat. He let me know when he was “finished” with this session by moving away. As I slowly stood to leave Darkness followed me to the front of his run. Kim’s response was nothing short of amazement!

I planned to return on Tuesday to do some follow-up work with my new friend and to discuss with caretakers any observations they had made on Darkness since my work with him on Saturday. When I arrived, I was dismayed to find that he was not in his run. What happened? Where’s Darkness! My alarm soon turned to delight when Joe, Darkness’ caretaker, told me he had gone to the adoption area. Going over to the viewing area, my delight turned to tearful elation, when I discovered that our boy had already had an application and was preparing to go to his new, forever home.

So, you see, it took Darkness to shed some light on the benefits of energetic healing. Now, I am encouraged to use HTA with the animals at the SPCA. I always consult with staff for suggestions and am now incorporating the Healing Touch Music and will soon be adding essential oils to my repertoire. What had been viewed with some skepticism is now welcomed. The beneficiaries of this openness, of course, are the dogs. My heartfelt thanks go out to Kim for opening the door and to Darkness whose beautiful light now shines in the home of his forever family.

Let us take a pause to reflect on a critical component not only required as a healing practitioner but as an individual: Self-care.

Daily practices in self-care not only summon our True Nature, but they also help us to discern the difference between our natural intuition and the chaotic echoes created by our minds. When we don’t practice this discernment, it’s much like a sports player entering the game having not attended practice, and it’s difficult to hit one out of the park when one is out of practice. Simply put, we cannot offer energy work in a clean, meaningful way for others if our own energetic housework isn’t being done.

As healing practitioners we are entrusted with very deep, sacred spaces. In order to both understand and work within the appropriate level of depth that some of these spaces require, we must be anchored in our Higher Selves. Once we are anchored in our higher selves, only then can our body, mind, heart and spirit harmoniously receive and share their gifts. Whether it’s time on the Healing Touch table, meditation, Yoga, time in nature, a favorite hobby and/or prayer, it’s crucial to have a consistent practice that feels nourishing and/or refuels your ability to serve others.

There is a particular stone that often goes unturned: Toolbox Inventory. It is necessary for each of us to take regular inventory of our toolboxes to be sure that the tools we’ve been using are still applicable and resonate in a meaningful way. For instance, if meditation was your elixir when you first stepped foot onto your path, perhaps now you’ve grown in a way that active meditation is also an elixir (conscious dance, jogging, etc.) This doesn’t mean that you have to let go of meditating altogether, it simply means that there may be other tools that work for you in addition to the originals. We are constantly changing and growing as individuals, so it’s necessary to check in with yourself once in a while to be sure that your self-care practice is commensurate to that of your current needs.

Don’t forget about the abundance of additional tools and resources at your disposal as well. Between modern technology and the lights starting to switch on everywhere in the world, it is no longer difficult to find a community of like-minded individuals that feel supportive to you.

Let’s not forget the importance of connecting with family and friends. This is yet another critical piece to our self-care puzzle since a large portion of our nourishment in this human experience lies in authentically connecting with those we love. Add time with loved ones to your To-Do List or your calendar since it’s as much a priority as “doing what needs to be done.”

So often we get lost in doing that we completely forget that some of our energetic work is shared when we are simply being. In order to have the tenacity and energy required to assist any individual in their healing process, proper rest and nourishment are also necessary. If we show up disheveled, unbalanced and tired, we’re not much good to anyone, including ourselves. While this may seem obvious, these practical practices in self-care are a reflection that our clients may be inspired to reciprocate. After all, rest and nutrition are key components for good health and balance overall.

The best part of being, no matter how practical it may seem, is witnessing the way in which is comes around full circle when your client’s self-care (reflected by yours) complements your session and their whole receiving meets your whole offering.

The bond between animals and their humans is strong, and it is even more so when it comes to assistance dogs and their owners. Together, the two form a team, each relying on the other for survival. Not every dog trained ultimately becomes a service dog, but the great need for these animals is dire. Training is time-consuming and hard work, for both dog and trainer, so when there is an issue with the dog that can be overcome, it’s critical to make it happen.

Healing Touch for Animals® practitioner Deb Bauer, from Cochranville, Pennsylvania, experienced this first-hand. Here is her story

I train service dogs to help people with various disabilities. One of the dogs in our program did not tolerate grooming very well. He was a breed that requires regular and extensive grooming, so this was an issue. His trainer worked with him religiously to teach him to be more tolerant. He was able to be groomed, but it was a struggle for even his trainer. We knew that his behavior would be difficult for someone with a disability to handle on a regular basis. So the dog was released from our program and we set about trying to find him a nice home as someone’s pet.

While we were waiting, his hair grew and grew. We needed to get him groomed to make him look good for people who wanted to come meet him. We called the vet to come sedate him so we could shave him and get him groomed in a stress-free manner. I was to be the person to shave him and get him groomed while he was sedated, so I waited with him for the vet to arrive.

As fate would have it, the vet was detained and was late showing up, and I knew I had other commitments later in the day. I started working with the dog with HTA techniques and I was able to turn on the clippers near him without upsetting him too much. More HTA: I ran the clippers over his body lightly without actually clipping his hair. More HTA: I was able to clip his body hair a little at a time. Interspersing HTA techniques in with the grooming, I had the dog almost completely clipped by the time the vet arrived.

Clipping his face would be the hardest and I saved it until last, hoping the vet would arrive by then. She had arrived, but because I was having such success, I decided to try it on my own.

Thanks to HTA techniques I was able to finish grooming the dog. We decided to give the dog another chance in our training program to see if he would continue to make progress with the grooming issues. He did. He can now be groomed and clipped regularly without any issues! He has been placed and is working as a service dog with his very own person, and he is always well-groomed and proudly wears his many fancy collars to show off his new haircuts

If you have a story about HTA techniques, we would love to hear about it. Please contact us!

As animal lovers, most of us firmly believe that puppy mills operate for the sole purpose of making a profit, with little or no concern toward the animals that are bred. Even though these shady operations have come under scrutiny for their mistreatment of animals, too many are still in operation. When dogs are lucky enough to be rescued from puppy mill situations by caring individuals, there can be a happy ending. Healing Touch for Animals® practitioner Jean Baugh of Aurora, Colorado, shares one such story of trauma release:

Poodie is a beautiful little white male poodle who came to me through my volunteer work with a rescue. His previous life in a puppy mill left this gentle boy fearful and isolated, and unable to connect with people or the world.

Time after time he was overlooked at adoption fairs as he tried to be as small as possible and avoid any eye contact. When he came to me, he did bond closely although he still cringed at a gentle touch, retreated from reaching hands, and remained very wary of males. On walks, he stayed so close to me I had to be careful to avoid tripping over him. He constantly looked at me with huge eyes as if searching for clues.

I took Poodie to a level 2 Healing Touch for Animals® workshop where Carol demonstrated Trauma Release on him. Poodie quickly melted into a little pile of fluff under Carol’s touch. As he allowed the energy to flow, his eyes fluttered shut and he totally relaxed. When the time came for the release, he refused to take a deep breath for several minutes but it finally came.

We went for a walk while the workshop attendees practiced the release techniques. Poodie trotted out with new energy, head held high, with his eyes and nose taking in everything around him. Several times he left my side to explore. As we entered the hotel to rejoin the group, we followed a couple checking in. The strange man was pushing a huge luggage cart piled with bags but Poodie trotted right in behind him with no problems. As I was filling Carol in on the changes I was already seeing, Poodie left my side again curiously approaching a group working nearby on the floor. He greeted both humans and dog. He allowed several attendees to pet him without shrinking from their touch. When we returned to our chair, Poodie took his first nice long drink of water that day, put his paws on my knees, gazed up with happy soft eyes, and allowed me to pick him up—a new behavior that he performed repeatedly!

Healing touch truly healed Poodie and has allowed him to move forward, with a newfound engagement with the world around him.

Do you have a story about energy healing? We would love to hear from you. Contact us here.

Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA) is a holistic approach to treating animals for injuries, illness, and other issues. Nothing is as powerful as witnessing the changes in an animal, and the story we are sharing here is a prime example of that. Here is Denver resident Susan Williamson’s experience with the healing touch with “Charlie”:

My horse, Charlie, and I had been struggling with moving lameness issues for six years. About four years ago, we finally determined that he has a disease called Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM). Even though we made all of the appropriate feed and exercise changes, Charlie had never been able to improve for longer than four to six months without relapsing.

After a year-long layoff in pasture, we tried his rehab again. All was going well for about six months, at which point he had a relapse. So the vets came out again and the news was not good: Charlie was sore in every joint. They tested and ruled out all known autoimmune diseases in horses. The news got worse: If there was no improvement after 60 days, they were recommending permanent retirement or worse. He was just 11 at the time!

Because we have already done everything the vets knew to do to help Charlie, we tried what I called a “Hail Mary.” Another feed change and only hand walking for 60 days, though I couldn’t fathom how reducing his feed and exercise could help him. But I couldn’t stand the thought of permanently retiring Charlie—or worse— so I searched for other things that could help my best friend.

I found Healing Touch for Animals® and took the Level 1 course. I immediately began working with Charlie using the tools I learned. I also did an intense Energy Session with a lot of Magnetic Clearing.

Within a week I saw major changes. Charlie was able to be hand-walked for 20 minutes without having any issues, and his playful, fun loving personality came out again. When the vets came in for the 60-day re-evaluation (10 days after Charlie’s energy treatment), they were pleasantly surprised. The vets decided that Charlie was 65 percent improved!!! I was given the go ahead to slowly start working him again.

A month after that evaluation, Charlie was being exercised nearly an hour a day—including 30 minutes of trotting and 20 minutes of me actually riding him (only at a walk). I have continued with his energy work and massage, and I continue to see improvement every day. He may never fully recover, but I know that I have helped him release some of his pain. This is evident from the vets’ evaluation as well as watching him being playful again.

I feel so blessed that I found HTA. I don’t know where Charlie and I would be without it—literally!

If you have a personal story with healing touch or energy medicine, we would love to hear about it. Please contact us!

Patch reminds us of how empowering energy medicine is to the body’s ability to self-heal

As we settle in for work each morning at the Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA) office, an orange, bull’s-eye tabby cat named Patch often comes in to greet us. Our unofficial mascot—and feline companion to HTA founder Carol Komitor—weaves his way through the office, stopping by nearly everyone for a quick scratch behind the ears…each pause punctuated by his delicate mews.

Although most of us wouldn’t mind living Patch’s luxuriously lazy life, he had a fairly rough time of it before he found his forever home with Carol. She first spotted him after a business meeting at a local animal shelter, noticing instantly the stitches that covered the place where his left eye had been. What truly struck Carol was that in spite of his serious injuries from being hit by a car, he still had an amazing willingness to connect with the humans around him. His instant connection with Carol was particularly strong, and she knew she had to bring him home.

Named “Patch” both for Carol’s love of quilting and the obvious handiwork to his eye, this sweet and engaging animal would be given a second chance. Carol knew that Healing Touch for Animals® would both help him to heal more quickly from his physical injuries as well as assist him in integrating into a new household.

Soon after his arrival into Carol’s home, she began doing daily HTA sessions along with the application of essential oils. This helped give Patch relief from pain at the eye enucleation site as well as his other injuries. Carol found that three essential oils were most helpful in Patch’s recovery and assimilation into his new home: Copaiba, which helped reduce inflammation around his eye, and Peace and Calming and Basil essential oils, which aided with Patch’s emotional mending. Whereas traditional veterinary medicine enabled Patch to survive his injuries, HTA along with essential oils gave him what he needed not only to heal but to thrive.

As a frequent visitor to the Healing Touch for Animals® and an essential member of Carol’s household, Patch is a visual reminder of just how empowering energy medicine is to the body’s ability to self-heal.

One of the things we hear over and over from participants in our classes is the overwhelming emotions they feel during class. Etheric Heartbeat™, in particular, tends to bring out strong feelings when participants experience it–especially for the first time.

Etheric Heartbeat™ is a technique that surrounds the entire body with heat chakra energy, increasing balance and improving whole-body wellness. It is one of the most successful and soothing techniques presented through the Healing Touch for Animals® program.

Lisa Osthelder, BA, HTAP, of Phoenix, talks about her experience with “unconditional love” in the following paragraphs:

During the last day of the Level 1 Healing Touch for Animals® course we were able to work with horses. The last thing we practiced during class was a technique called “Etheric Heartbeat.” It was during this time, standing in the midst of the unconditional love of my horse Reno, I had a profound emotional and spiritual experience. I was overwhelmed with unconditional love beyond anything I have ever felt. I was standing next to this horse and immersed in absolute love. To be able to give back to these amazing creatures, which serve people in many different ways, is deeply rewarding.

This was the pivotal moment when I decided I had to specialize in working with animals. Animals are our teachers, our companions, our livelihood, our best friends, our babies, our kids, our healers, and our therapists all wrapped in one. I ultimately quit my corporate career in May 2013 and have dedicated my career to healing animals ever since then. For once in my life, I can say I love what I do each and every day. I have truly found my passion healing our beloved animals of this world.

If you have a story to share—or questions to ask—please contact us! We would love to hear about it.

Taiko’s owner called me at 8:07 a.m. with tears in her voice; it looked like today was going to be the last day of her wonderful 14 year old Shiba Inu’s life and she wanted him to have a soothing energy treatment first. She told me Taiko, who has renal failure, had been very slow to wake up. He had lost bladder and bowel control and was barely able to walk. His right rear leg dragged with the toes folding backward. The owner planned to call the mobile veterinarian to help Taiko die peacefully at home.

When I arrived Taiko was on blankets confined to a small bathroom. He was lying down, but his head was up and he was alert. When he tried to walk, his right hind leg could not take any pressure. I put my hands on the joints of his right rear leg, but he moved away from me, dragging the leg. His owner carried him outdoors to potty, but he wasn’t interested. He did drink some water and ate some treats.

When I assessed Taiko, I was surprised to find the hara line intact, the chakras open, and the spinal energy flowing (though slower toward the tail). Even the right leg was open all the way down, just slower toward the toes. My hand scan did not seem to indicate pain, but Taiko was clearly uncomfortable. He couldn’t stand long. He couldn’t sit down. Getting to a prone position was difficult. His eyes were a little squinted and dull.

I used Pan-Away (for pain relief) by inhalation and ran my hands with the oil on them along Taiko’s spine and down his right leg. Because Taiko was uncomfortable and could not stay still, I asked the owner for a large stuffed dog that I could use as a surrogate.

I began the Energy Frequency Balance™ on the surrogate, holding each hand position for an extended time. Taiko laid down about six feet away, in sight of the owner but out of my sight. After the technique, I continued with the leg portion of the Chakra Balance for Animals™, beginning with the right rear leg. During the treatment, Taiko got up and went back to his bed in the bathroom. When the owner checked on him, he was in a semi-curled position. She noted to me that this was something he hadn’t been able to do for some time.

As I finished with the front legs, I finally felt Taiko’s energy surge through him. With my hands still on the surrogate, Taiko got up and came into the main room walking on all four legs! He stood between the owner and me and shook himself. Even his tail moved a little, which it hadn’t for the past year.

We were both amazed! Taiko walked around as if nothing unusual had happened this morning. I gathered my supplies. Taiko escorted me to the door and enjoyed some long body strokes before I left, looking fit and ready for the day. Instead of seeing Taiko for the last time, I had seen a miracle.

If you have a story to share, please contact us! We would love to hear about it.

One of the things we love here at Healing Touch for Animals® is when our practitioners share stories of how they unexpectedly perform energy healing outside of their practices. We wanted to start this blog to give us a place where we can share these inspirational stories with others. Healing Touch for Animals® promotes energy balance along with healing of our animals, providing emotional, physical, mental, and instinctual stability at the same time.

Here is a sad yet ultimately heartwarming story from Ines Hoster, MS, HTCP/I, CHT, of Atlanta, Georgia. She writes,

I had to get some supplies for my dog at PetSmart. When I entered the store I saw a woman near the entrance standing next to a basket with a mid-sized dog in it. The dog’s eyes were closed, and he had stitches all over his body and was severely swollen. I went to the woman and asked about the poor dog. She explained to me that she had rescued him. He had been used as a victim for pit bull fights; apparently the organizers would pick a rather sweet-natured dog who then can be torn apart by these pit bulls as people watch and cheer them on. I was aghast since I had never heard of such a dreadful, inhumane practice.

I asked her whether she would allow me to do some Healing Touch for Animals® on this poor dog, and she agreed. After working on the dog over the many places of injury for about 20 minutes, I could see the tremendous swelling go down to the point that he could open his eyes. He even lifted his head and slightly moved his tail as if to say “thank you.” I was moved to tears—partially in gratitude for being able to help this animal and partially in deep sadness for the people who can allow themselves pleasure in such horrific acts.

This incident also gave me an insight into the tremendous suffering that we impose on other people and animals all over the world, and the wonderful healing tools we all carry in our hands and our hearts. It is up to us to access love.

If you have a story to share, please contact us! We would love to hear about it.